Jennifer Luckenbill

damp sets in
to chill the bones

and the end of October
finally feels like fall,

the red-orange-yellow flamed
branches can’t be far behind,

along with heart-life fire
glowing out of grotesquely

grinning orange mouths. now, we
draw ourselves in, pull

our lovers like shawls around
our shoulders, make cup after cup

of tea to warm our dampening
centers. soon we will

celebrate the dead on a day
where spirits are freed to lay

their quiet, airless bodies
against our flesh, hoping

for a little warmth.